The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

Now Christian, what saith thy heart to what thou hast read? can you experience what hath been said? I do not ask you if you find no difficulties, but come off with ease in all points; if you find your heart come off with ease, I am afraid you do not understand what I have written, ⟨p. 276⟩and I should the more suspect you: for if your heart be indeed set upon the work to clear out, and prove the sound work of faith in closing with Christ your Saviour and Lord, you will find you have an old man, a dead body, a corrupt principle yet within you, and a Devil without you, that will cause the work shall not come off with so much ease: I will allow you fears, jealousies, surmises, doubts, whether there be, or ever will be, a sound work of faith, from what thou meetest with, in thy heart, and yet shall like you never the worse for that: the question is, where art Christian, how far art come? I have endeavoured to take away what may trouble a sincere heart, and yet have laid the work sound to cut off an Hypocrite: Hast thou applied these things to thy self which thou hast read? If thou doest not apply, to what end doest thou read this, or any other book? But if thou hast applied, what answer doth thy heart give thee? If the day be stormy, cloudy and dark, give in thy answer another time; when being more quiet and still, thou canst weigh the things that have been written, and thy heart, in a just balance, then say how thou findest: Having then considered what hath been written concerning preparatory works to faith, concerning the nature of saving faith, how it receives Christ, and what it receives: Hast viewed him in his Person, in his Offices, Priestly and Princely? Hast taken the general Head down into particulars, and considered them? Doest say, yes, I have? and all things being thus considered (supposing difficulties, temptations, and hard work, which you have told me I must look for from my own heart, and be sure I find it true) I can humbly say before the Lord, my Soul hath thus received and embraced Jesus Christ my Lord: And if you ask me what I am doing? I answer, I am endeavouring to live by the Faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2.20. whom I have thus received, that my Soul may experience him in the execution of all his Offices, in the application of the complete work of Redemption; that as my union with him is my life;

Now Christian, what saith thy heart to what thou hast read? can you experience what hath been said? I do not ask you if you find no difficulties, but come off with ease in all points; if you find your heart come off with ease, I am afraid you do not understand what I have written,